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Friday, February 28, 2014

Excerpt & Giveaway: Shattered Worlds Boxed Set

Title: Shattered Worlds Boxed Set 
Publication: February 26th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult


Synopsis:
Read these bestselling tales of survival against the odds, dark worlds, dystopian regimes and heroic rebels.

Shattered Worlds features six full-length novels from bestselling authors. Immerse yourself in post-apocalyptic civilizations and bleak near-futures where hope still lives.




Featured authors and books are:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elle Casey – Apocalypsis Book 1: Kahayatle

My name's Bryn Mathis. I'm seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I'm almost out of food and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day.


It's time for me to leave and find another place to live ... a place where I can find food and shelter ... a place where they won't be able to find me.


Alone, it might have been possible; but now I've got company. I'm worried that I don't have what it takes to get from here to my final destination.


And I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

**May not be suitable for younger, middle grade readers.**
I stuffed the sleeping bag down into my backpack with angry, punching motions, sick and tired of having to be here and having to do the same thing over and over again. I hated camping, I hated being organized, and more than anything, I hated what this exercise stood for.
“Don’t do it like that. I told you - you have to conserve the room as best you can. You have to travel as efficiently as possible. Take it out and start over.”
“I don’t see what difference it makes.”
“Trust me, it’s going to be a really big deal to you in the not so distant future.” His voice sounded hollow.
“Says who?” I was being ornery. I knew the answer to the question already.
“Says me, Bryn. And the news. Look around, would you?” He sounded like he was pleading now. “Stop defaulting back to the rebellious young teen act, and get serious. We don’t have enough time to play those games anymore.”
“They’re not games, Dad. I am a teenager. I don’t care what the news jerks and the government say.” I threw my backpack down on the ground. “And it’s not rebellious to not want to play friggin’ survivor in the backyard every day.”
My dad looked at me with a sad expression and sighed, reaching over to pull me into a tight hug. He dropped his nose to my head and inhaled deeply.
My face was pressed up against his shirt, and I could smell his sweat mixed with the sweet scent of his aftershave. My dad always said he was the last of a dying breed, using that stuff. He couldn’t have been more right.
“Maybe it’s not going to happen here … to us.” I said it just to hear the words, but I knew it was only wishful thinking.
I could tell he was getting choked up again when he started talking, his voice now hoarse.
“I wish, more than anything else in this world, that you didn’t have to be standing here with me in this backyard playing survivor.” His whole body started to shake with silent sobs. “Oh, God, Bryn. If I could do anything to change this, anything at all, I would. I swear to God I would. But it’s happening. No one can stop it.”
I put my arms around his waist, letting go of my earlier stubborn anger, now choking back my own tears. “I know, Dad. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did,” he said, sniffing hard and clearing his throat, shifting to hold me at arm’s length. He was staring at me while he smiled through his tears, giving me that look. The one that always made me confess.
“Okay, so maybe I did mean it. But I’ll shut up about it for a little while.”
“Not for too long, though. You wouldn’t be my daughter if you weren’t complaining about something.”
I tried to slap him playfully but he moved too fast for me. My dad is light on his feet, an expert level-one practitioner of krav maga - a certified badass. He’d only recently taken up camping.
“Pick it up,” he ordered, now back in control of his emotions. “Do it again. Only this time, get the air out of that bag first, condense it down …”
I cut him off. “I know, I know … ‘down into the smallest footprint possible.’ Geez, Dad, I’m not an idiot.”
I shook the sleeping bag out and started rolling it up quickly, using the moves I’d been practicing for four months straight to squeeze it down into a lump the size of a small loaf of bread. I folded the whole thing in half, pushed it to the bottom of the backpack, and then let it unfold itself one time, before putting the other items in on top of it: unbreakable water bottle, half-liter of bleach, square of plastic, cup, hunting knife, and various other tools my father was quite certain I would need … once all the adults in the world had died off, leaving us kids alone to fend for ourselves. 

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Black Canary/ Oracle Birds of Prey Volume 1 by Chuck Dixon

Author: Chuck Dixon
Illustrator:
Title:Black Canary/Oracle Birds of Prey Volume 1
Publication: February 1999
Publisher: DC Comics
Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book, Super Heroes.
Pages: 208
Audience: 15 and up
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): Alone, they are driven vigilantes...together they are a force to be reckoned with. 
Name: Barbara Gordon 
Alias: Oracle
 The former Batgirl, she now serves as information broker to the super-hero community-all the while searching for something beyond the limitations fate has forced upon her.
Name: Dinah Lance
Alias: Black Canary
A master of judo, aikido, karate, and several other martial arts, this ex- Justice Leaguer now finds herself searching for a new direction, a new outlet for her talents.


My Thoughts:
I am a huge fan of Barbara Gordon, who is Batgirl/Oracle. I am also a fan of the Birds of Prey, mainly thanks to Babs. I started the New 52 Birds of Prey and decided I wanted the entire original back story. My husband lovingly spent months, time, and money on helping me collect the original story. The art in this book is marvelous as well as the writing. Granted, the art is a little dated looking. I thought it looked a bit like the 80s or 90s. It is from 1999, so that could explain it, but it is worth the read. Chuck Dixon is one of my husband's favorite comic book writers, and he hasn't let me down on any story I have read by him so far. 
The story is essentially how Black Canary and Oracle come together to create this team of heroines to save Gotham and the rest of the world. The story throws in some details that are probably explained in other comics or hopefully in the future comics of this series. Some of it is kind of understood, like everyone should know that the Joker shoot Barbara Gordon and paralyzes her. She then uses her knowledge and technology to help the super heroes fight the bad guys, and she turns into the Oracle. Occasionally other questionable ladies are thrown into the mix like Catwoman, Lois Lane, Lady Shiva, and the Huntress (I REALLY hate her, especially since the show Arrow had her on there.). Even though there are other characters mixed in, Black Canary proves time and time again she can take care of herself, with a little help from Oracle. If you are interested in the series at all, I strongly recommend this "origin" story.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Giveaway: Riding Desire

Title: Riding Desire
Publication: February 17, 2014
Genre: Romance
Pages: 1200
Audience: 18+



About the stories:
This accountant is about to learn that one rough biker plus three of his friends equals a HOT RIDE she'll never forget. By Opal Carew.

One sexy rookie cop. One seductive outlaw biker. One unforgettable one-night stand. Sarah Castille's sexually explosive BURNOUT is a hot and wild ride you won't want to miss!

What happens when a reporter looking for a story is thrown inside an outlaw motorcycle club on the verge of war? Drama, action, and lots of hot sex! SAVAGE HEART by Sara Fawkes

Combine one sassy biker chick with one badass Australian rocker for a full throttle ride in ONE WILD RIDE by Lauren Hawkeye, part of the New York Times bestselling Three Little Words series.

When Aubrey Rhodes comes face to face with the mysterious bad boy Caleb West, nothing can prepare her for the wildest ride of her life in FULL THROTTLE by Adriana Hunter.

In HEART RACER, the first of Marian Tee's new biker series, notorious underground moto racer Leandro Christopoulos needs to convince snarky philanthropist Roberta "Bobby" Granger he's in love with her...even if he's not.

Mari Carr's latest romance, CRASH POINT, proves nothing could be hotter than a former bad boy biker looking to make good, the sexy photographer he loved and left and those sultry New Orleans nights.

Who doesn't love a little rumblin' between the thighs? Join Tessa Savage on a wicked ride of corruption and seduction in HOW TO DEBAUCH A BIKER, the latest in the Savage Series by Daire St. Denis.

Listen up, adrenaline junkies: your pulse will roar as if you're street bike racing when you meet gorgeous speed junkie Sawyer Tremaine in FAST AND MINE by Sharon Page.

Delilah is caught between an old crush and a new attraction...she's in for one wild ride. R.G. Alexander's ménage romance DIRTY DELILAH is guaranteed to rev you up!

If you love snarky socialites and dominating NYPD motor cops than get ready to laugh your ass off with LOVE, LEX by Avery Aster.

Romance, redemption and chrome-plated sizzle! Nothing can bring this Dominant rock star to his knees like the ex-wife he's never been able to forget in Eden Bradley's OBSESSION!

When a birthday girl's plans go up in dust along with her broken down car and lying jerk of a boyfriend, there's only one hot mechanic who knows how to make it all better in Roni Loren's NICE GIRLS DON'T RIDE.

Rev up the heat and take a ride on the wild side with Rio's sexiest off-road motorcyclist in CONQUISTA by Suzanne Rock.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway: Of Sea and stone by Kate avery Ellison

Title: Of Sea and Stone
Author: Kate Avery Ellison 
Publication: February 2014
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult


Synopsis:
All her life, clever Aemi has been a slave in the Village of the Rocks, a place where the sea and sky meet. She’s heard the stories about the fabled People of the Sea, a people who possess unimaginable technology who live below the waves in the dark, secret places of the ocean. But she never dreamed those stories were true.

When a ship emerges from the ocean and men burn her village, Aemi is captured, and enslaved below the waves in Itlantis, a world filled with ancient cities of glass and metal, floating gardens, and wondrous devices that seem to work magic. To make matters worse, her village nemesis, the stuck-up mayor’s son Nol, was captured with her, and they are made servants in the same household beneath the sea.

Desperate to be free, Aemi plots her escape, even going so far as to work with Nol. But the sea holds more secrets than she realizes, and escape might not be as simple as leaving…
Excerpt: 
We walked across a bridge enclosed with glass that stretched between the ship and the city of Celestrus. Glass and twisted metal were the only things standing between the sea and us. I looked up and saw a long, sinuous shape curl through the waters above us—some giant, unknown sea creature—and a shiver passed over my skin as I remembered the dark shape that had passed beneath our ship on the journey over.
What other things lurked in the ocean’s depths?
The first guard planted his hand between my shoulder blades and pushed me forward, drawing my thoughts back to the present, back to the rush of warm air from the round opening ahead, the clank of our feet against the metal floor, and Nol telling the guard exactly what he’d like to do to him if he had a sword in hand.
I kept my mouth shut, because I wasn’t stupid.
We stepped through the round doorway, entering a round room with walls and floors of polished metal. The ceiling arched above us, made of rose-colored glass and shot through with metal that I supposed held it aloft. I could see shapes moving above it, churning shadows that stamped and brushed the ceiling and bewildered me until I realized I was seeing people’s feet and garments. The ceiling above must serve as a walkway for an even higher level, I realized. I stared at the strange shadow dance until someone nudged me. The guard.
A bench ran along one wall, and a man sat on it, waiting for us. He stood when we entered.
He must have been old, but his face was astonishingly smooth, almost ageless. His skin was the color of copper. His long hair black hair, streaked with gray at the temples, hung down his back in a mass of braids, and he wore light purple robes that draped off his thin body and engulfed his wrists. He did not look unkind, which was a good sign.
The guards herded me forward.
“What is your name?” he asked me.
“Aemi,” I said.
“Ah, Aemi. Exquisite name. Means sea-born in the old tongue.”
I lifted my gaze, startled. “Yes, it does.”
He smiled, a quick quirk of his lips that transformed his face into something kindly. “And you?” he asked Nol.
Nol turned his head and would not speak. The man looked back at me.
“He’s called Nol,” I said, and I saw a muscle jump in Nol’s jaw when I spoke his name. He gave me a look of pure loathing, and I knew I had betrayed him by giving up his identity to the man when he had clearly wished to make a statement by withholding it.
“Nol, eh? Short for Nolen?”
“Just Nol,” he growled.
“I am called Merelus,” he said, seemingly unruffled by the waves of anger radiating from Nol. “I hope we can learn to respect each other, as unfavorable as this situation may be for you.”
Respect each other? His words confused me, but I bit my lips and said nothing.
“Come,” Merelus said to us, and nodded to the guards. “I’ll take you both.”
“Their wristlocks, sir,” the guard said.
“Ah, yes.” Merelus paused and waited as the guard approached us and snapped a thick band of silver over our right wrists.
“This will set off an alarm if you enter any area forbidden to Indentureds,” he informed us gruffly. “And you will be punished.”
I looked around for Myo, but he was gone. I supposed I would never see him again. He’d never bid me goodbye. Why would he? I was just a slave.
The click of the wristlock around my arm made me flinch. Merelus watched my face, and his eyebrows drew together as if he were seeing more than I intended him to. I turned my head away and met Nol’s eyes. They smoldered with fury as he submitted to having the wristlock placed on him.
“Well,” Merelus said when it was done. “That’s over. Let’s go, shall we?” He indicated the door.
My mouth fell open as we stepped through it.
Arching ceilings soared overhead, joining in a web of patterned glass held in place by golden metal beams that swirled and formed fantastic shapes. The floors were gleaming stone set in curling patterns beneath our feet. Doorways and corridors branched off from the main thoroughfare, opening onto other plazas and rooms filled with fountains and statues.
Far ahead of us, six corridors converged on a round plaza with a sculpture of a dolphin in the center. Blinding light poured over the dolphin from a ceiling that glowed with light like a captured sun.
I glanced at Nol. He stared ahead, his mouth pressed in a rigid line. His hands were white and clenched at his sides. He refused to seem impressed.
But I saw no reason to hide my amazement. I gaped at everything.
“You have never been to Celestrus before,” Merelus observed, watching my reaction.
“No.” I remembered Myo’s warnings and said nothing else of my past.
“The Jeweled City,” he said, smiling. “Seat of learning and the arts. The most beautiful place in all of Itlantis. Exquisite, if I may say so.”
I believed it.
Men and women filled the corridors and corresponding plazas that connected them. Most wore flowing tunics or robes over the one-piece jumpsuits, or simply the jumpsuits. A few were dressed in other garments—trousers, dresses. The blend of fashions bewildered me. The people had varying appearances too—some with skin as brown as polished driftwood, others as pale as sand. Most had long, straight black or brown hair, and large eyes that came in vivid blues, greens, and browns. Nol’s pale hair stood out and drew him a few looks of interest and curiosity.
We crossed a bridge of shining metal and glass and into a round-roofed chamber large enough to fit the Village of the Rocks inside in its entirety. A vast floor stretched before us, and the ceiling was ribbed with metal supports and set with colored glass. Through the glass, I caught glimpses of the ocean, vast and dark and rippling with fish.
“The commons,” Merelus said, gesturing to the space before us.
This place was anything but common.
We passed through this glorious space and reached another. They were like a string of bubbles, one after the other. This chamber had dozens of doors set into the walls, and staircases going down into the floor and up toward the roof. I craned my neck to see around us. Balconies spiraled around the domed roof as far as I could see.
Merelus stopped before a door of bronzed metal and touched the handle.

“Welcome home,” he said.
Author Bio:
I live in Georgia with my wonderful husband and two spoiled cats. When I'm not writing, I'm usually catching up on my extensive Netflix queue, reading a book, giggling at something funny online, or trying to convince my husband to give me just ONE bite of whatever he's eating.

Learn more about my writing and books at my blog (http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/), find teasers for upcoming works on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/kateaveryellison), and subscribe to my new releases newsletter to be notified of new novels as soon as they hit stores (https://tinyletter.com/kateaveryellison)!

Interview: 
Describe Of Sea and Stone in six words.
Atlantis, steampunk, sunlight, seawater, secrets, romance.

What books have you read and loved lately?
I am almost finished with Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, and it’s an absolute delight. Witty, immersive, and utterly compelling fantasy that reminds me very much of my beloved Megan Whalen Turner books.

Ice cream or cake?
Ice cream cake, of course! It’s the best of both worlds.

What authors have influenced your writing style the most?
I grew up on a pretty steady diet of mystery, actually, so I feel like classic mystery authors like Agatha Christie had a strong influence on me. When I was a teenager, I started reading fantasy by authors like Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, and Sherwood Smith. The Blue Sword, Ella Enchanted, Crown Duel...I loved those books. I also had a huge love of historical fiction, so Ann Rinaldi, Elizabeth George Speare, and Eloise Jarvis McGraw influenced me a lot as well. As far as more recently-written books that I didn’t grow up reading, I continue to be an awe of fantasy authors Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, etc.) and Melina Marchetta (Finnikin of the Rock), dystopian author Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games), and contemporary young adult authors Lucy Christopher (Stolen) and John Green (A Fault in Our Stars).

If you had to pick a shoe that represented your writing style, what would it be?
Have you seen those canvas shoes where an artist has drawn original artwork on the front and sides and is selling them online? I think my books are like that—in some ways they feel familiar, but they have their own surprises and twists that make them unique.

Who has been the most supportive person in your writing career?
My husband. About two years into trying to get published, I was ready to give up on my stories and get a job doing something tremendously ill-suited for me, like being a secretary (I am a very bad secretary. Very disorganized). He convinced me to give it more time, and he is probably the sole reason I am published today. He is my first reader, my strongest encourager, and my most reliable critic.

Are you working on anything else currently?
Yes! I’m currently hard at work on the second book in the Secrets of Itlantis series, and I’m also working on a few secret projects on the side—one is a more traditional fantasy, another is a post-apocalyptic novel. I hope to have more details about them for my readers very soon.
Giveaway: This giveaway is for one (1) Amazon Gift Card and is open internationally and is sponsored by the author. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. 

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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Excerpt & Giveaway: BOMB by J.A. Huss

Title: BOMB (Rook and Ronin Spinoff) 
Author: J.A. Huss
Publication: February 17th 2014 
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Audience: 18+


Synopsis:
Spencer Shrike is a plotter. Known for his ingenious, albeit illegal, plans that keeps the Team running efficiently and out of jail, he carries this same love of order into his personal life. He’s kept his long-time main squeeze on the sidelines for years as he builds the Shrike Bikes empire.

Veronica Vaughn is an explosion ready to happen. Ronnie lives in the here and now. She lives for today. She knows what she wants, and she wants it now. And right now Ron the Bomb Vaughn wants Spencer shrike to leave her the hell alone. She’s done playing his game. She’s done waiting around. She’s moving forward with her own plots, plans, and dreams and she’s moving forward tonight. Ron the Bomb is finally—finally—gonna get some satisfaction.

Too bad Spencer Shrike is standing in her way.

Excerpt:
“Do you want me to stop, Ronnie?”
Veronica hesitates and I pull back, but her hands grab mine and hold them to her body, tightly. “No, I don’t want you to stop.” She looks over her shoulder at me, her mouth open, her chest rising and falling faster than it was a few seconds ago.
I lean into her neck and kiss the soft skin, right under her ear.
She shudders.
“Oh, hell,” she sighs. “Maybe you should stop.”
I pull back immediately. “I will if you really want me to. But Veronica—” I reach up to turn her chin towards me. She has to reposition herself a little to look me in the eye. “Don’t say no because it’s expected of you. Or because you’re afraid I might hurt you. Or because it’s too soon. Because you’re mine, baby. I knew the moment I saw you last week, outside the bookstore having it out with your brother over something. I watched you stand your ground and toss your hair at the same time. And I told myself, She’s mine. I need her. I don’t know her, but I will. And now I do. And I want you. Not just for tonight, not for just a weekend, not for just this semester to pass the time, not just to get some kickass ink on my body. I want you for all those things, but I want them indefinitely.”
She lets out a long breath. “Holy shit, that’s sorta deep. What’s that even mean? Indefinitely?”
“It means I’m here, for as long as you want me.”
“But you don’t even know me, Spencer.”
“I’ve watched you for weeks. I know all I need to know.”
She’s silent for a moment, and then she stands up and turns around and straddles the long black leather seat, facing me. “What do you want me to say?”
I smile. “When I ask if I can touch you tonight, I want you to say yes. When I ask if I can kiss you tonight, I want you to say yes. When I ask if I can have you tonight, I want you to say yes. Just say yes, Ronnie. I want you to say yes. One word, that’s it. One word is all it takes. And I really will change your life.”
Her eyes dart back and forth, searching my face. I can almost hear her thoughts. Running all the questions through her mind, past conventional expectations. Past her father’s opinion of her. Past her brothers’ reactions if they find out she gave in to me after knowing me less than twenty-four hours.

And then she closes her eyes and whispers, “Yes.”

Author Bio: 
J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label). 

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.


Giveaway: 
This giveaway is for one (1) signed copy of BOMB. $10 Amazon Gift Card, and a Spencer Shrike tote bag with swag. The giveaway is open internationally and is sponsored by the author. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. 

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Friday, February 21, 2014

Audio Review: Deenie by Judy Blume

Title: Deenie
Author: Judy Blume
Narrator: Kim Mai Guest
Publisher: Listening Library
Format: Unabridged Audio
Length: 3 hrs 31 mins
Publication: January 11, 2011
Source: Library
Genre: Middle Grade


Synopsis: 
When Deenie finds out that she has scoliosis, she’s scared. When she sees the brace for the first time, she wants to scream.

But the words won’t come out. And Deenie, beautiful Deenie, who everyone says should be a model, is stuck wearing a brace from her neck to her hips. For four years—or longer. She never worried about how she looked before—how will she ever face the hard times ahead?
 

My Thoughts: I have always loved Judy Blume books and this one was no different. Somehow I managed to miss this one when I was going threw my Judy Blume phase as a child. I don't think the story would have affected me as much then as it has now. 

Deenie is like many young girls and wants be like and spend time with her friends. Deenie's mother is like many mothers and is living vicariously through her child. I really enjoyed this story. At times I was very sad for Deenie and found myself on the verge of tears several times. Deenie is like a precious flower she wilts under pressure but given time and tender loving care she blossoms again. 

This book, as with all Judy Blume's middle grade books, is great for reluctant readers. Children will also be introduced to challenging situations and get to experience how someone there age deals with it. Even though Deenie was written over forty years ago the themes and messages still apply today. 

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Excerpt & Giveaway: RecruitZ by Karice Bolton

Title: RecruitZ (Afterworld #1) 
Author: Karice Bolton 
Publication: December 27th 2013
Genre: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic


Synopsis:
Scientists are the new rock stars. The infection has been contained for nearly three months, and the world is celebrating. But humans are still dying. Rebekah Taylor has seen it firsthand. Her husband was killed right in front of her by the very creatures that humans were told they no longer had to fear.

Rebekah is determined to find out who is responsible for the death of her husband and the obvious cover-up. Fueled with revenge, she begins to find answers that lead to one frightening conclusion. The apocalypse might be over, but the battles are just beginning.

Excerpt:
I reached across Gavin and began breaking off fingers and slicing hands and anything I could connect with that was attempting to gouge at Gavin. Pieces of flesh tumbled into the car.
We’d been vaccinated.
We’d be okay.
The stench of the decaying flesh filled our small car with every crack of a bone and tear of the skin. Gavin and I were shoving the arms, bodies, and heads back the other direction, but they kept pushing through the small driver’s window. Gavin grabbed the bat, shoving and poking the zombies through the window. The space was so small it was hard for him to hit with any force.
It wouldn’t be long before they broke the other windows. The first thump on the roof made me jump and then the second. The metal was crunching with every step above, and I looked up to see the roof dipping in places.
The moans grew louder as more arms pushed through the opening, scraping and digging at our flesh. Fingers with calloused skin grazed my face, poking at my eyes and scraping my cheeks, but they would fall from my face almost instantly in search of Gavin. Why Gavin?
Gavin propelled the bat into the crowd with such velocity that he managed to run it through the stomach of one of the beasts, spreading the group out momentarily. The zombie collapsed, but the swarm returned, descending on us again.
I jabbed the knife directly into the neck of the most insistent intruder and pulled it out, severing the head from the neck. The head toppled into the car as the body slumped outside against the door. There was a brief hesitation as they stepped back, and I grabbed the ADD, removing the pin and flipping the lever. I threw the ADD out the window, but it bounced against an undead girl in the back of the crowd. It dropped to the ground with a thud. My heart sank with the realization the zombies wouldn’t be running anywhere.
Broop-Broop-Broop
Maybe I was wrong.
Once the ADD sounded, the zombies peeled away from our car and turned toward the device, but there wasn’t enough distance to open the door or escape through the window. They’d get us in a heartbeat. The deafening sound made it hard to think. I watched as each zombie turned back toward the car and shoved their arms back at us. A set of hands latched onto Gavin’s neck, and I slashed clear through the zombie’s wrists—bone and all—, stopping only because the blade encountered the softness of Gavin’s throat.

“They’re not going to stop until they get what they want,” he whispered, punching back at the beasts.


Author Bio:
Karice Bolton lives in the Pacific Northwest and is a writer of Young Adult and New Adult books. She loves to read anything and everything. She also enjoys baking, skiing, and spending time with her wonderful husband and two English bulldogs.

Karice would love if you stopped by her blog or FB page to find out the latest news on giveaways and upcoming releases, or you can just send her an email. She loves hearing from her readers and responds as soon as she can.


Books currently available:

  • Beyond Love Series: Beyond Control (Book 1) Beyond Doubt (Book 2) Beyond Reason (Book 3) – Feb. 28th
  • Afterworld Series: RecruitZ (Book 1)
  • The Witch Avenue Series: Lonely Souls (Book 1), Altered Souls (Book 2), Released Souls (Book 3) Shattered Souls (Book 4)
  • The Watchers Trilogy: Awakening (Book 1), Legions (Book 2), Cataclysm (Book 3), Taken Novella (Watchers Prequel)
  • The Camp
Giveaway: There are two (2) giveaways. The first is for one (1) $10 Amazon Gift Card and a zombie kit. The second is for one (1) ebook copy of RecruitZ, open internationally. Both giveaways are  sponsored by the author and/or Xpresso Book Tours. Please use the rafflecopter forms below to enter. 

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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Excerpt & Giveaway: Rain Trilogy by Karen-Anne Stewart

Title: Saving Rain (Rain Trilogy #1)
Publication: January 31, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Audience: 18+

Synopsis:
Raina has tried to forget her past, forget the pain, but when she finds herself staring straight into the fury blazing in her ex-boyfriend's eyes, her dark past comes rushing back. Furious with herself for actually having chosen someone like her father, she uses that anger to her advantage and fights for her life...and for her future that she prays will involve the man she can't seem to get out of her head. Kas is a natural leader, a fierce  fighter, the type of man you send in when you need to get the job done. He is a courageous hero who is used to risking his own life to save others, but can he save the one who has captured his heart from her horrific past and the men who are hell-bent on destroying her? As Kas and Raina try to navigate through the twists and turns of a deviously intelligent human trafficking group, they find solace in each other's arms. Can they infiltrate the trafficker's tight ring, saving the innocent lives from imminent danger before it's too late?


Title: Healing Rain (Rain Trilogy #2)
Publication: August 29, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Audience: 18+


Synopsis:
Shattered when Raina runs after his marriage proposal, Kas is hell-bent to find her and bring her home, where she belongs. He will bend every law necessary to do so, willing to do anything to protect Raina from her demons and the men who haunt her, going as far as placing his career and life on the line to save hers. Raina will give up everything she has worked so hard to achieve, even flee the country to keep Kas from the wrath and powerful reach of her abusive father.

In the midst of the FBI team closing in on the Ghost, another ghost from Raina's past taunts her, promising that she will be his. Meanwhile, a different trafficking ring is gaining strength in New Jersey. Michael solicits Raina's help, needing her smooth, sultry voice to win the audition for the new singer in the ring leader's swanky night club. Raina knows her life is in jeopardy with the dangers of being undercover, but she is blindsided when she discovers that it's her heart that is threatened with a mortal blow. 

Raina tries to heal from the nightmares of her dark past as the grisly bodies of innocent victims surface when the team gets closer to discovering the identity of the man responsible for the infuriatingly clever and powerful slavery ring. When Raina finally comes face to face with the Ghost, he quickly engulfs her in a twisted game of cat and mouse, delivering a veiled threat as he slips through her fingers. As the ghosts of her past and present ensnare her in their deadly web, Raina realizes the danger has just begun.


Title: After Rain (Rain Trilogy #3)
Publication: October 14, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Audience: 18+



Synopsis:Finally able to put her harrowing past to rest, Raina looks forward to her future with Kas, but the Ghost has other plans. As the FBI team gets closer to taking down the largest human trafficking ring in the modern world, the Ghost begins a wicked game, making Raina the pawn and the target. Never before encountering a worthy adversary, he's fascinated by Raina and is enjoying the refreshing challenge of her intellect. 

The danger ignites to a blazing new level, and Kas struggles between the need to finally exorcise the Ghost and his need to protect his wife. Tension mounts as an internal battle wages, tormenting Kas as he watches Raina put her all into taking down the man responsible for horrific sex slavery and gruesome deaths. When a new player takes control, Jefferson orders the end of the Ghost's game with Raina, which results in one final, devastating act, leaving Kas desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to save her...by whatever means necessary.